It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect an occupant of a vehicle upon the occurrence of an event for which occupant protection is desired. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is a side impact air bag inflatable upon the occurrence of a side is impact to the vehicle or a vehicle rollover. Upon the occurrence of an event for which occupant protection is desired, the inflator is actuated, and the air bag is inflated into a position between the vehicle occupant and structure of the vehicle. The air bag while inflated helps protect the vehicle occupant from impacts with the vehicle structure.
The side impact air bag is typically a part of a module that includes an inflator for providing inflation fluid for inflating the air bag and a structure, such as a bracket or housing, for supporting the air bag and inflator in the vehicle. In one particular configuration, the side impact air bag module is supported in a seat of the vehicle. The side impact air bag is inflatable to a position between the side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant.